Rioters took to the streets of a Stockholm neighborhood on Sunday, torching cars and throwing stones at police. Officers reportedly called residents “monkeys” and other derogatory terms as they protested against a recent police shooting.

Between 60 to 100 people – most of them young men – took part in
the riots which began around 10pm local time in the Stockholm
district of Husby.

Police turned up at the scene after a car was set on fire. Upon
arrival, officers were met with stone-throwing protesters, Police
Chief Daniel Mattsson said, as quoted by The Wall Street
Journal.

One policeman was attacked by youths kicking him and two others
were injured by rocks, police officer Jorgen Karlsson told AP.

Rioters torched cars in a local parking garage. Around 50 vehicles
were damaged in the fire, which forced the evacuation of a nearby
building. Windows were smashed at two schools and several local
businesses.

Mattson said there were 18 criminal incidents reported and that the
unrest lasted for four hours.

Allegations of police misconduct

Witnesses say that police officers reportedly called rioters and
residents “monkeys” on Sunday night, discriminating against
their race.

Rouzbeh Djalai, editor-in-chief of local newspaper The North Side,
told The Local that she spoke to a youth leader and some of
teenagers after the riots. The group reportedly approached police
asking if they could help.

The youth leader told her that he was called a “nigger” by
police, while the boys were called “monkeys.” They also said
the police attacked them with batons.

"If the police don't want to cooperate, they should just say it;
they don't have to call people names and hit them with batons,"
Djalaie said.

Residents of Husby are angry that police are increasing their
presence in the neighborhood, instead of focusing on long-term
solutions to the area’s problems.

"There's frustration in Husby and it risks spiralling out of
control; people want long-term solutions to social problems instead
of an increased police presence," Djalai said.

"It's a neighborhood where one third of junior high school
graduates leave school without adequate grades; they step straight
out into unemployment. It's obvious what the consequences are,"
she added.

Seeking justice

The riots were in response to the fatal shooting of an elderly
man last week. The man was shot and killed by police after officers
responded to a call that a person was roaming Husby with a
knife.

Once officers arrived, the man disappeared into an apartment,
police spokesman Lars Byström told TT news agency. He then stepped
onto a balcony and threatened officers.

"He screamed at police from the balcony that he wanted to kill
them," a neighbor told the Expressen newspaper.

Negotiators were called to the scene and police learned that a
woman was also in the apartment. After failed attempts at
negotiating, police broke down the apartment door in an effort to
secure the woman’s safety.

But things took a turn for the worse once officers arrived inside
the residence.
"Then the person in question appeared holding a machete. Officers
felt cornered and threw a flash grenade so they could overpower the
man. That didn't work either and they then felt forced to open
fire," said Byström.

It is unclear how many officers fired shots and how many shots were
fired, but witnesses say police fired five or six shots in
total.

"We saw the flashes when they shot. Even if you'd never seen an
actual shooting before, you knew what it was," a witness
said.

Police say the 69-year-old man was taken to hospital where he was
pronounced dead from gunshot wounds.

However, local youth organization Megafonen reported on May 15th
that neighbors said there was never an ambulance. Instead, they say
a hearse turned up to cart away the body at 2am.

The woman inside the apartment escaped with no injuries, according
to police. Her relationship with the man remains unknown.

Megafonen arranged a protest against the alleged police brutality
last week, in response to the fatal shooting. The group - a
community-based organization aimed at organizing residents to fight
for social justice - demanded an independent investigation and
public apology.

"Last week, the police shot an old man who was holding a knife.
How can they do this without taking responsibility? I can
understand the reaction (riots)," Megafonen founder Rami
al-Khamisi said.

Prosecutors from the Swedish National Police Crimes Unit are
currently investigating the shooting.